The Conferenza dei Rettori delle Università italiane (CRUI) and the three deans of the Universities of Friuli Venezia Giulia have made a plea to the candidates running for premiership asking for a public commitment to rescue the Italian University system.

The Director of SISSA, the International School for Advanced Studies of Trieste, has also joined the plea, underlining a few key aspects: "A developed country cannot possibly evolve without third-level education, which can only be provided by Universities," Guido Martinelli has emphasized. "The university system in Europe is basically public, while in our country we urgently need to radically change direction, putting an end to definancing and to the staff turnover freeze seen in the last years."

In other words, it is fundamental to bring back investments in universities as one of the key elements for the country's revival. It is also fundamental, according to Martinelli, to increase the number of graduates: "In order to do so, we have to guarantee the right to education and invest in didactic and research infrastructures. We wish that our plea will be embraced by the public opinion, in particular by the ruling class and by those who will have the responsibility to run the country in the next years."